The present invention relates to an application program developing system and an application program developing method for developing an application program that includes at least a plurality of developing tools such as a debugger, a simulator, etc., on one computer such as a personal computer or the like, and operates on a target system such as a microcomputer or the like, and to a storage medium in which the application program developing program is stored.
Recently, microcomputers have been installed and widely used in various devices such as household electrical appliances, etc. In order to operate in accordance with the specifications of the device in which the microcomputer is installed, such as peripheral devices, etc., the microcomputer has an application program written in a built-in ROM (Read Only Memory). The microcomputer carries out various outputs on the basis of the application program in accordance with an input state input from input means of the device in which it is installed. Various types of input means exist depending on the installed target devices, for example, a key input, a voice input, a character input, etc. exist.
Therefore, in order to develop microcomputers, not only the development of hardware, but also the development of application programs is important. A development system for developing an application program is formed by a debugger, a simulator, etc., as developing tools.
The debugger executes the application program at every step, and can perform a break, a trace, etc. Further, the debugger connects to the simulator to start/stop the simulator, refer to and rewrite data on the simulator, etc. In the meantime, the simulator simulates the respective functions of components such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM, etc., of a target microcomputer and simulates also the input/output to/from the microcomputer and peripheral devices. When an application program is input by a disc device or the like of a computer, the simulator simulates the operation based on the application program under an environment that is equivalent to the environment in which they operate on the target microcomputer
In general, the developing system is usually formed of the debugger, the simulator, etc., in the same computer, such as a personal computer. In this case, the debugger and the simulator commonly use a keyboard and a display of the personal computer as input means and output means. When the input means of an installed target device of the microcomputer is a key input type, each key of the installed target device is allocated to each key of the keyboard of the personal computer.
When the OS (Operating System) of the personal computer has a multi-window environment, input can be made in a window which is made active by the user. In this case, when the window of the simulator is active, the simulator carries out the simulation with a key input from the keyboard of the personal computer as a key input from the installed target device. Input to the debugger becomes possible when the window of the debugger is active.
With respect to the debugging of the application program, the debugging must be carried out on the assumption of various states of the microcomputer-installed target device in order to enhance the simulation accuracy of the application program. For example, there is a case wherein an application program is required to be executed step by step by the debugger while the [A] key or the like is pressed as an input to the simulator (that is, in the state in which the [A] key of the installed target device is pressed). However, when the debugger and the simulator are formed in the same personal computer, the input from the keyboard of the personal computer is regarded as the input to the debugger if step-by-step execution is carried out by the debugger. Accordingly, it is impossible for the debugger to carry out step-by-step execution while holding the key input state to the simulator. For example, if the command window of the debugger is set to be active, the input from the keyboard of the personal computer becomes the input to the command window. Therefore, it is impossible to carry out key input to the simulator by using the keyboard of the personal computer. That is, since the window for key input of the simulator is not active while the window of the debugger is active, the key input state to the simulator cannot be held. As a result, the number of items to be debugged in the application program is reduced, and thus the simulation accuracy of the application program is lowered.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an application program developing system and an application program developing method such that even when a certain developing tool is active, input states to other developing tools can be held in the case where a plurality of developing tools are formed in the same computer, and a storage medium in which an application program developing program is stored.
To achieve these objects, the present invention provides an application program developing system such that the system has a plurality of developing tools including at least first and second developing tools which are installed in a computer, the developing tools commonly use input means of the computer as input means for these developing tools, the developing system develops application programs that work on the target system, and is characterized in that the first developing tool has accepting means for accepting an input to the second developing tool, and the second developing tool has holding means for holding an input state accepted by the accepting means while the first developing tool is active.
According to the application program developing system, the input to hold as the input state of the second developing tool is accepted by the accepting means, and the input state can be held by the holding means in the second developing tool even when the first developing tool is active. Therefore, the application program can be developed under various states, and thus the quality of the application programs can be enhanced.
Further, in the above application program developing system, the first developing tool is a debugging device and the second developing tool is a simulation device, wherein the simulation device simulates the operation based on the application program by holding the input state while the debugging device debugs the application program.
According to the application program developing system, the input state to the simulation device can be held even while the debugging device carries out debugging. Therefore, the number of items to be debugged in the application program is increased, and thus the simulation accuracy of the application program can be enhanced.
To achieve these objects, the present invention provides an application program developing method of a program that has a plurality of developing tools including at least first and second developing tools which are installed in a computer, the developing tools commonly use input means of the computer as input means for these developing tools, the developing system develops application programs that work on the target system, and is characterized by comprising the steps of: the first developing tool accepting an input to the second developing tool, and the second developing tool holding an input state accepted in the accepting step while the first developing tool is active.
According to the application program developing method, the input to hold as the input state of the second developing tool can be accepted in the accepting step, and the input state can be held in the holding step in the second developing tool even when the first developing tool is active. Therefore, the application program can be developed under various states, and the quality of the application program can be enhanced.
Further, in the above application program developing method, the first developing tool is a debugging device and the second developing tool is a simulation device, wherein the simulation device simulates the operation based on the application program by holding the input state while the debugging device debugs the application program.
According to the above application program developing method, the input state to the simulation device can be held even when the debugging is carried out by the debugging device. Therefore, the number of items to be debugged in the application program is increased, and the simulation accuracy of the application program is enhanced.
To achieve these objects, the present invention provides a storage medium with an application program developing program such that the program has a plurality of developing tools including at least first and second developing tools which are installed in a computer, the developing tools commonly use input means of the computer as input means for these developing tools, the developing system develops application programs that work on the target system, and is characterized in that the first developing tool accepts an input to the second developing tool, and the second developing tool holds the input state accepted by the first developing tool while the first developing tool is active.
According to the storage medium on which the application program developing program is stored, the input to hold the input state of the second developing tool is accepted in the first developing tool by operating the application program developing program on the computer, and the input state can be held in the second developing tool even when the first developing tool is active. Therefore, the application program can be developed under various states, and the quality of the application program can be enhanced.
Further, in the storage medium in which the application program developing program is stored, the first developing tool is a debugging device and the second developing tool is a simulation device, wherein the simulation device simulates the operation based on the application program by holding the input state while the debugging device debugs the application program.
According to the storage medium on which the application program developing program is stored, the input state to the simulation device can be held by operating the application program developing program on the computer. Therefore, the number of items to be debugged in the application program is increased, and the simulation accuracy of the application program is enhanced.